ICPC arraigns ex-registrar of Benue college for admission racketeering

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arraigned the former Registrar of Benue State School of Health Technology in Agasha, Awuawe Clement, over alleged admission racketeering.

Clement was accused of collecting and diverting the sum of N4,466,500, paid by unsuspecting admission seekers into the institution.

A statement on Thursday by the ICPC’s spokesperson, Demola Bakare, said the Commission preferred three charges of making a false statement to the officers of the Commission during the course of the investigation, which is an offence under Section 25(1)(a) and punishable under Section 25(ii)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Clement, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

Count One against the defendant reads: “That you, CLEMENT, between 2018 and 2019, at Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a Public Officer as the Registrar of the School of Health Technology, Agasha, used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by collecting a total sum of N4,476,500. You continued to sell admission forms to unsuspecting prospective students after the closure of sales for your personal use and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”

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He was said to have collected the alleged sum after the institution had closed the sale of admission forms for the year.

Counsel to the defendant, Mr Kelvin Iorzenda, moved an application for bail on behalf of his client.

The prosecution counsel, Mr T. S. Lorngee, on his part, did not oppose the bail application moved by the defendant’s counsel.
The presiding judge, Justice Egbe Raphael, thereafter granted the defendant bail in the sum of two million naira (N2,000,000) and one surety in like sum.

The judge added, “The surety shall be a Public or Civil Servant, either at the Federal or State level. The surety shall deposit photocopies of the letter of first appointment and last promotion, identity card, passport photographs, and shall swear to an affidavit of means and address.”

The matter was adjourned to December 12, 2024, for hearing.